


Unexpected Valentine

by fuckinqueen



Series: Meronia Event 2021 [1]
Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Fluff, I know that's not a tag, IDGAF, Kinda did it weirdly, Kinda happy/unhappy about this, M/M, Mello's Gayness, Meronia Event 2021, Ugh, Valentine's Day, Wammy's House Era (Death Note), but..., lol, oof
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29254332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuckinqueen/pseuds/fuckinqueen
Summary: Day 1: February 14 - Valentine's Day
Relationships: Linda & Near | Nate River, Matt | Mail Jeevas & Mello | Mihael Keehl, Mello | Mihael Keehl/Near | Nate River
Series: Meronia Event 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2148141
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18
Collections: Meronia Event (Feb 14 - Feb 20 2021)





	Unexpected Valentine

At Wammy's House, for St. Valentine's Day, the children make and pass out valentines. During the end of the first month, and the beginning of the second month of the year, leading up to Valentine's Day, it isn't uncommon to hear chatter, giggles, and whispers everywhere you look. It gives Mello a headache. 

He doesn't spend his time talking about Valentine's Day; he has to study to beat Near. Although, even in the library it can get loud. 

The only person that Mello knows that cares absolutely zero perfect about the holiday, is Near. The white-haired boy doesn't even glance at the girls giggling past him, or the boys striding confidently, and boasting about exactly which girl they're going to give a valentine, even though Mello knows that the majority of them will only send it anonymously, if at all. 

Near just does his puzzles, plays with the toys he brings down from his room, or reads a book, in the common room. Mello tries to reminds himself that he doesn't like Near in the moments he sees the younger boy around this time. 

Another thing Mello doesn't like about Valentine's Day, is that he's gay. He's not necessarily mad at himself for being gay, but it's annoying when it's this time of the year. Not that it matters; again, he has to study.

On the night before, Mello walks into the common room with books taken from the library, plus his schoolwork clutched to his chest. He passes Near, who's on the floor, without looking at him purposefully. The blonde smells the cinnamon sugar, vanilla, and lavendar that emanates off the small, white-haired boy, and resists inhaling deeply. 

He plops next to Matt, who's talking to Linda, who's giving small hints that she doesn't really have anyone who'll send her a valentine. Mello frowns, furrows his brow, and tries to concentrate on reading and writing. 

"Why would Mello be in the common room if it's too loud?" Mello's head snaps up, and sees Near staring back at him. Everything else dulls and blurs, becomes silent, like always when Near speaks to him. Mello inwardly shudders, glad they don't talk often. Outwardly, the elder of the two scoffs and doesn't dignify that question with an answer. 

Mello's in the common room because tomorrow it'll be too chaotic to be. He wants to be in the warm, comforting room before it's too much to handle, after everyone gets their everything and begins talking and wondering who the anonymouses are. 

First Linda bids Mello goodnight normally, and lightly brushes her fingers over one of Near's shoulders (to which Mello flushes and glares about for no reason), leaving Matt out. Until at the doorway she spins around and waves cutely at the brunette. 

Matt stays a little longer, playing his handheld game, which constantly makes Mello's eye twitch until the blonde severely wishes that he could go into that weird space like when Near talks directly to him. But Matt leaves soon enough, leaving only Mello… and Near. 

Speaking of the small sheep, Near pulls a thick book from seemingly out of his ass, and comes over to the couch, where he curls up on the opposite end of where Mello is. Mello eyes the back of the book inconspicuously as Near opens it. Harry Potter. Mello snorts. Near looks up. They engage in a staredown, until Near looks away and continues reading. It gives Mello a sense of victory, and now he feels that he can stare openly at Near struggling to keep his eyes open. Mello doesn't understand why Near doesn't just go into his room and sleep. 

Finally, Near sets the book down and stares hopelessly up at the ceiling. Mello glares daggers at the pathetically adorable scene before him. He snatches the book, and sees that Near probably forced himself to read and finish the chapter, and now is too tired to read the next. 

Mello clears his throat, scowling slightly, and begins to read the chapter out loud. He does voices, and accents, and makes little comments, which extends the length of the chapter by what seems like quite a lot. When he finishes, he looks up, and sees a fast asleep Near, with drool dripping out of his mouth, and his face squished against his hand. It's frustratingly cute, and in this moment Mello realizes that he's smitten with his rival. All the information does is piss him off. He gets up and throws the book at the peaceful form, aiming for the face but instead hitting the same shoulder that Linda touched. 

He doesn't look back to see if Near wakes up to see it was him.

In bed, Mello cries angry tears, too worked up to not, until he feels calmer and tired, and falls asleep.

In the morning, Mello decides to stay out and bear with the people. It's about as annoying as he thought it would be. He just sits cross-legged on the back of the couch eating chocolate and glaring at anyone who gives him an odd look. 

Halfway through, he realizes that Near's missing. _Good idea,_ Mello grumbles, _go to your room, escape from the person who threw a book at you for being too much like… a kitten or something._ It's kind of hurtful, especially since Mello knows that the younger boy normally stays in a corner, yes, but still out here. Mello misses that annoyingly delicious smell. He wants to kill himself for it. 

When most of the people ha ve left, and someone reminds Mello of something schoolwise, he runs out to his locker, does the combination, and opens it. Something black and red-rimmed flutters out. He looks and it's… oh. No. No way. 

He quickly picks up the card and shields the view of it with his body, face flushed. All it says is "Dear Mello…" in a beautiful script. He zstares at it, puzzled and frustrated. 

Suddenly, he smells Near's scent and looks behind him. Absolutely no one's there. And his gaze falls back to the card. Slowly he brings it closer to his face and smells. 

Cinnamon sugar, vanilla, and lavendar.

Mello blinks rapidly, stunned. Only now does he see the sign from Harry Potter; the Deathly Hollows. He curses himself for being ignorant, slams the locker door shut, and slides down it, whatever he was retrieving from it now forgotten. He sighs, giving himself in to the thoughts and ideas and assumptions that are whirling around his brain. One of the biggest assumptions is that it's just a joke, just Near getting him back for what happened the night before.

Mello lifts the card up to his face again and smells it, frowning. He stops as soon as shoes come into view. He loks, and it's Linda. The blonde girl looks at him with a type of contempt and disappointment, her hands on her hips. 

"It looks like someone's waiting for you. And it also looks like he actually gave it to you. I didn't think he would, after what happened last night. He took it back out after he went to my room and asked me to go to his. He said he was adding something. Anyway, let's go." She marches off without letting him get a single word in. He stands up and follows her, stepping carefully. 

At the door to the library, Linda turns back to Mello, hands him a rainbow colored blanket, and looks him up and down. "Here. He likes blankets." Now she scoffs. "I don't see what Near sees in you." She stalks off. Mello watches her go, noting that she acts like a protective mama bear when it comes to Near. It's strange, and makes Mello unfairly jealous, but he can deal with it. Not that there's anything to deal with. 

Mello opens the door, and his heart melts at what he sees: the white-haired thirteen-year-old is sitting with his back to Mello, in front of the fireplace that really shouldn't be on without supervision in a room full of books. Anyway, the boy has his legs pulled up to his chest, and some of that fluffy hair is in disarray. 

The same urge that Mello had last time to destroy the cuteness before it destroys him passes through him, and he walks over until he's close enough, then throws the blanket on top of Near's head unthinkingly. Near pitches forward, strangely silent. Mello realizes almost too late that the blanket is inches away from catching fire, and he pushes Near back, after going over hurriedly. He puts himself between Near and the fire. He moves the blanket off of the younger male's head and instead places it around those narrow shoulders, holding it in place. Near puts his own cold hands over Mello's, tilting his head slightly. Once more Mello's in that place. That strange, empty world.

Near's face doesn't change, even as he says, "My hero." Mello frowns, knowing that Near's thinking, "and the cause of my need to be saved." It's fine; Mello's thinking that too. Near moves his legs further out to the side, and since Mello was leaning against them, he falls in between, flushing immediately. Near lies on the carpeted floor, curls surrounding his face like he's an angel. 

Swiftly, Near gets Mello to also be lying on the ground on his left, dazed and unknowing how he got there in the first place. Near tosses a part of the thick, heavy rainbow blanket over him. The younger boy tugs the card out of one of Mello's hands and holds it up, open. 

"Did I do okay? I quite enjoy writing on black paper with a white-colored writing or coloring utensil." Mello nods, murmuring "Yes you did." Near, although, isn't satisfied. "Hm. I see. I'll do better next time.' 

"Next time?" He's not going to admit it, but these words excite Mello. Makes him look forward to next time. "There will be a next time?" Near gives him a look that says, _Yes, stupid. I'm not just going to gift you one time._

Near cuddles ip to Mello and slams a book onto the blonde's stomach. Mello winces. "Serves you right." Near snorts quietly. "Now please continue reading. I believe I fell asleep last time, in the middle of your incredible Harry Potter voice." 

Mello opens the book to wher there's a bookmark. "Chapter fourteen - hey, it's the fourteenth today!" Near gives him an annoyed look. "Alright. Chapter fourteen - y'know, I like Severus. Chapter four - Near?" Mello must've said it in a quiet, vulnerable way or something, because Near doesn't object the inturruption this time, just looks expectantly up at him. "Happy Valentine's Day. Chapter fourteen…"


End file.
